April/May 2008 issue no. 194
On Sale: March 18, 2008
Subscribers should receive this issue by March 26.
On the Cover:
Amazing countertops: metal, paper,
and
even recycled glass
| Articles |
|
|---|---|
| AMAZING COUNTERTOPS Manufacturers have improved old materials and developed new ones, expanding the potential for new and remodeled kitchens Read this article online  Magazine extra: Video: What's green in Brooklyn? |
42 |
| DOUBLE DOORS ARE TWICE AS TRICKY Prehung double doors demand galvanized nails, a good eye for gaps, and as little moving around as possible Read this article online |
48 |
| REMODELING FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY Can a 150-year-old house approach net-zero energy use? Three case studies point the way from the 19th to the 21st century Read this article online Magazine extra: How-to: Flashing replacement windows |
51 |
| BLOCK PLANES FOR BUILDERS With a basic design that hasn't changed in over a century, these shaping and smoothing specialists pick up where power tools leave off Read this article online |
58 |
| SHORTCUTS TO A SHED Time-saving tips about planning, materials, and construction that will get any outbuilding up in a hurry Read this article online Magazine extra: Video: Math shortcuts for a shed |
60 |
| A KITCHEN BUMPS INTO THE BACKYARD A small addition displaces the old kitchen to yield a mudroom, a laundry, a pantry, and a better-flowing first floor Read this article online |
66 |
| TESTING 12-IN. SLIDING COMPOUND-MITER SAWS They're big and expensive, but versatile enough for framing, trim, siding, and cabinetry work Read this article online Magazine extra: Video: Miter-saw features roundup |
70 |
| SOLAR HOT WATER No matter where you live, a solar system can reduce energy costs and provide a reliable supply of domestic hot water Read this article online |
76 |
| TIPS FOR POURING A CONCRETE SLAB Know what to expect, prepare for the worst, and the rest is easy Read this article online Magazine extra: How-to: Finishing a patio slab |
82 |
|
|
|
| Departments |
Page |
| CONTRIBUTORS |
8 |
| LETTERS Letters from readers |
10 |
| CROSS SECTION Safety is worth a lot more than $3.4 million ASHRAE Ventilation Standard is too low Green building is finding its way into the law books Houses you can heat with a hair dryer |
20 |
| TIPS & TECHNIQUES Bottling up the dust Custom electrical-box extensions Sealing an air leak next to a chimney A different way to use a basin wrench Clever fix for a laminate counter Shop-vac reducer nozzle Fighting clingy PVC dust Dustless drywall drilling Help for leaky rain gutters |
28 |
| TOOLS & MATERIALS Weather-resistant sheathing Deluxe caulking gun Self-cooling grinder blade |
36 |
| FINISHING TOUCHES Sheds with style |
86 |
| QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Are compact-fluorescent lights dangerous? Is canned foam fire-safe? Keep heavy tile on the ceiling |
90 |
| WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? Aluminum building products Spray polyurethane-foam insulation |
98 |
| BUILDING SKILLS Job-site chisel sharpening  Magazine extra: Video: Job-site sharpening |
106 |
| DRAWING BOARD Composing roof penetrations |
112 |
| MASTER CARPENTER The secret to coping crown molding: maintaining the projection |
120 |
| INDEX TO ADVERTISERS |
128 |
| GREAT MOMENTS Animal house |
130 |
| BACK COVER A beach house with cat's eye views |
|
